Travel Journal

West Coast Trail - July 18 - Day 3 - Km 25 - 42

(Friday 27 July 2007) by Karin

The Angel of Serenity
The Angel of Care: I am filled with joy as I care for people and things and all of Nature
Didn't forget to prepare my breakfast last night so dried fruit for breakfast and enough left for lunch with some cereal bars. 17 K to go today. A long day. 6:00 am wake-up and at 8:40 we are finally on the trail. Beach this morning. Unfortunately, soon after we leave I start feeling sick again. Not the dried fruit again..... what's happening??? I am sure it will go away and struggle on. Follow Ingeborg's footsteps as much as I can. Gravel beach sucks.... it slows down enormously. But the views are spectacular and ask for frequent 'picture-stops'. At Tsusiat Point we arrive at the Hole in the wall. After having checked out some giant sea stars and other water life we hike beneath the arch. At 10:52 we reach km 29 and go inland again. At 1:30 we arrive at the ferry. Every hiker takes the ferry across Nitinat Narraws, a dangerous, swift, deep tidal waterway. And here it starts raining. On the other side you'll find a 'restaurant' where you can order salmon or crab but I still feel ill and am hurting all over. Already got rid of my two fuel bottles but pack is still too heavy. The others enjoy a great meal while I doze off on a bench. They wake me up before going but I'm not sure I can continue. This is the only place where you can get of the trail and I am seriously considering it. Seems like the only option and tears are high but then half my pack is emptied by Ernie and the others distribute the load between themselves. (if any of you read this.... thanks again. I really appreciate it as I know that every pack was already loaded. I couldn't have done it without you). I get into my rain gear as by now it is really pouring and we depart at 3:10. Following Ernie, who goes as slow as possible so I can follow we continue. A short while later I slip and go flat on my stomach on a slippery boardwalk. Should I have continued???? I must be crazy. Massive fallen trees criss-cross the trail and often require climbing over, under and onto. Root structures of the trees span anywhere from one to three meters and often form natural steps. I spent every moment with my head bent down, looking and deciding where to place my next step. Go down another time but this time backwards. Backpack breaks the fall. Hiking seems to drag on and on. We are going at a pace of approximately 1 km per hour.... yes, you read this right.... 1 km = 1 hour. Not going fast. We get back on the beach at some point but not much easier here. What seems an easy walk across a bunch of rocks with black and green stuff isn't as simple. It was kelp glued to the rocks and it offered us a highly slippery surface. Some more difficult passages were waiting for us here. One of us scaling a low cliff at km 39. Got to the Cribs Creek campsite around 9:30 (I think), set up tents and I went straight to bed. No need for dinner. Just hoping I would feel better the next day. Why o Why??????